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Zaza is the street name for a drug called tianeptine, an antidepressant that has gained notoriety as “gas station heroin.” It’s sold in certain convenience stores and gas stations as a dietary supplement, but its effects are far from harmless. Tianeptine can trigger intense euphoria and carries serious risks of addiction, overdose, and withdrawal. [1][2]
- Zaza is a slang term for products containing tianeptine, a prescription antidepressant (not FDA-approved in the U.S.) which, in high doses, acts like an opioid. It’s often sold as “Zaza Red” or similar pills at gas stations, hence the nickname “gas station heroin.”
- Using tianeptine can lead to severe side effects and dependence. High doses not only cause opioid-like euphoria but also drowsiness, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, or even death.
- Tianeptine addiction is treatable. Medical detox and therapy are often needed, and medications used for opioid addiction (like buprenorphine) may help.
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What is Zaza?
Zaza is the common name for a product containing tianeptine sodium, an antidepressant drug. Tianeptine was developed decades ago as a treatment for depression and anxiety in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. [2] It is classified as an atypical tricyclic antidepressant, but unlike typical antidepressants, tianeptine has a unique pharmacology. At low therapeutic doses, it can stabilize mood, while at high doses, it behaves like an opioid in the brain. [1]
Tianeptine is not FDA-approved for any medical use in the United States. The FDA has placed tianeptine on an advisory list of ingredients that cannot be used in dietary supplements. [1] Despite the lack of approval, tianeptine made its way into the U.S. market in recent years, marketed as a “nootropic” or supplement for mood enhancement or anxiety relief. [2]
Products like Zaza Red, Tianna (or Tianna Red), Pegasus, and Neptune’s Fix are all brand names of tianeptine supplements sold online or at convenience stores and gas stations. [3] These products are sold in pill and powder forms, with labeling that claims benefits, like improved focus, pain relief, or energy boost.
Tianeptine: How it affects the brain and body
Tianeptine’s effects on the brain are complex. Initially, it was thought to work by modulating serotonin and glutamate levels, improving mood in depressed patients. We now know that tianeptine is also a µ-opioid (mu-opioid) receptor agonist. Thus, it binds to the same receptors in the brain as some opioid drugs. [2]
In low doses (the standard antidepressant dose is around 12.5 mg three times daily), tianeptine can relieve depression or anxiety without a “high.” In higher doses, it mimics narcotic drugs, producing euphoria, pain relief, and sedation. [1] Consumers who take large amounts of tianeptine report a short-lived rush or calming effect, comparable to the effects of oxycodone or even heroin.
Why is it called "gas station heroin"?
The nickname “gas station heroin” sums up the drug’s accessibility and its effects. Zaza is sold at gas station convenience stores, usually in the dietary supplement or “energy booster” section, next to items like caffeine pills or herbal products. [3]
Unwitting customers can buy these Zaza pills legally in many places, not realizing they contain a potent drug. The mix of retail access and strong addictive potential led to the moniker “gas station heroin”. [4]
Law enforcement and health officials use this term as a warning. It emphasizes that just because Zaza is sold in a store does not mean it’s safe; in effect, one might say that purchasing Zaza at a gas station is like buying a form of an opioid over the counter. The FDA explicitly cautions that tianeptine is a potentially dangerous substance and should not be available to consumers in this manner. [3]
Who uses Zaza and why?
Zaza (tianeptine) shows up in the hands of five main groups:
- Recreational users: These individuals use Zaza for a legal high, especially where tianeptine isn’t banned. [5][6]
- Opioid-dependent individuals: These people take it to ease withdrawal symptoms or to pass drug tests. [2][1]
- Self-medicators: These users take Zaza for anxiety, depression, or pain due to misleading branding. [2][1]
- Polysubstance users: Some users mix Zaza with benzodiazepines, alcohol, or stimulants, increasing overdose risk. [2][7][8]
- Teens/young adults: Young people may be lured by colorful packaging and retail access, with few stores checking ID. [3][9]
Risks and dangers of using Zaza
Using Zaza (tianeptine) is highly dangerous, especially in the ways it’s often consumed (at much higher-than-prescribed doses). The potential severe risks include: [1]
- Central nervous system depression
- Extreme drowsiness
- Confusion
- Slowed breathing
- Loss of coordination
Abusing Zaza can cause physical health implications, like injury to the liver and biliary tree (including acute cholangitis and hepatitis) and to the brain (toxic leukoencephalopathy). [10][11][12]
Misusing Zaza can have profound negative impacts on mental health as well. Misusing tianeptine can swing users from brief euphoria into intense depression and anxiety, with withdrawal sometimes provoking suicidal thoughts or attempts. Heavy, prolonged dosing is linked to paranoia or full-blown psychosis. [13][14]
Overdose and toxicity
Some have also been found unconscious or in a coma due to tianeptine overdose. Further risks include:
In the U.S., the poison control centers have seen a dramatic spike in tianeptine-related calls, reflecting the surge in Zaza’s popularity. [15] One medical report noted that only 11 cases of tianeptine toxicity were recorded between 2000 and 2013, but 151 cases occurred in 2020 alone. [16]
Legal status
The legal status of Zaza in the U.S is complicated. On one hand, tianeptine is not a federally controlled substance. Thus, it’s not listed on the DEA’s schedules of drugs, like opioids or benzodiazepines. [15] This means no nationwide law outright makes possessing or selling tianeptine a criminal offense (as of this writing).
However, it is illegal to market or sell tianeptine as a dietary supplement or food additive. The FDA has clarified that tianeptine is not an approved ingredient and products containing it are considered adulterated and unsafe. [3]
Selling tianeptine products violates FDA regulations, which prohibit unapproved dietary supplement ingredients. However, this is a civil enforcement issue, not a criminal offense under federal law. The FDA typically responds through warning letters, product seizures, and referrals to state regulators.
Which states banned tianeptine?
Many U.S. states have enacted bans on tianeptine in response to the rising dangers. As of 2025, at least 12 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and North Carolina, ban the retail sale of tianeptine. [9]
Recognizing Zaza addiction
Zaza (tianeptine) dependence often mirrors opioid use disorder, which makes it easy to overlook. The warning signs cluster around these themes:
- Escalating use: Users quickly increase doses, often taking entire bottles daily. [2]
- Rapid withdrawal: Symptoms include tremors, nausea, anxiety, and sweating. [8]
- Behavioral shifts: Secrecy, high spending, and neglect of responsibilities emerge. [2]
- Physical signs: Drowsiness, slurred speech, pinpoint pupils, followed by agitation and insomnia, are common.
- Clean screens: Routine urine tests don’t detect tianeptine, thus complicating the diagnosis [2]
Treatment and recovery options
Tianeptine addiction is treated much the same way as other opioid use disorders: Stabilize the body first, then work on the behavior that drives drug use. Because withdrawal can be sharp and sudden, most people do best when the medical and psychological pieces are handled together rather than piecemeal.
- Medical detox: Heavy consumers should start in a supervised setting. Medications are helpful, like clonidine for hypertension and anxiety, anti-emetics and antidiarrheals for gastrointestinal distress, and short-acting sedatives for agitation or insomnia. [2]
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT): Some patients are changed from Zaza to buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) or methadone. These medications satisfy opioid receptors without the full euphoric effect of opioids. [2]
- Therapy and counselling: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), contingency management (CM), and similar approaches help patients spot triggers and build alternative coping skills. Peer groups, such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or SMART Recovery, add day-to-day accountability.
- Inpatient or intensive outpatient care: When relapse history is long or health complications are of concern, a few weeks in residential rehab gives around-the-clock support. Others manage well in intensive outpatient programs, attending therapy weekly while living at home.
- Aftercare: Recovery continues well past detox. Regular check-ins with an addiction clinician, continued therapy, peer meetings, and maintenance medication (where indicated) guard against relapse.
Preventing Zaza abuse and staying safe
Preventing abuse of Zaza involves individual awareness and broader public health measures. Here are some strategies for staying safe and helping others do the same:
- Call it what it is. Zaza is a potent, addictive drug, not a herbal booster. [9]
- Get it off the shelf. States that ban tianeptine cut access and curb new use; report any store that still sells it. [2]
- Offer real care. People seeking relief from depression, anxiety, or opioid cravings need licensed treatment, not an unapproved pill. [1]
- Do not stigmatize people who use Zaza. That is counterproductive.
- Read every label. Tianeptine sometimes hides in “energy” and “mood” products. Cross-check unfamiliar ingredients against FDA advisories and skip gas-station pills that promise miracles. [1]
- Keep the conversation open. Talk with teens about “legal highs,” watch spending habits, and act on early warning signs.
- Stay local and alert. Follow community health alerts and encourage retailers to refuse stock; early vigilance stops outbreaks before they spread.
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